Forced flow steam generator



Oct. 6, 1936. F. HoDGKlNsON FORCED FLOW STEAM GENERATOR r Filed May 25, 1934 mlm INVENTOR FFeANcls Hamm/@QN Q WITNESSES:

Bv @jbl ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 6, 1936 PATENT oFFics Y `2,056,519 FORCED fFLow STEAM GENERATOR v Francis .Hodgkinsom Philadelphia, Pa., assigner of Pennsylvania .to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing` Company,` East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation Application May 25, lssigserial No. 727,413

` oiaims. (o1. 122-448) My `invention relates totubular boilers or steam generators .of the forced-flow type wherein the combustion media and water supplies are adjusted in accordance with the desired output,`and

,5 it has for its `object to provide means .affording rotection to the fuel-heated elements in case of failure .of the water supply.

A further object of my invention isto provide a forced-How tubular steam generator with'means for supplying water thereto including a device responsive tolow lfor exerting a controlling effect on .the combustion media supply.

'Ihese and other objects are eiected -rby my invention as will be apparent romvthe following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming'a part or this application, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a steam gener'- ator having my improvement applied thereto,` and,

.20 v Figs. 2 and 3 show modied forms of ilow responsive devices.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, inFig. 1,7'1 show a steam generator, at lll, including a 'tubular heat absorbing element Il arranged, `*for example, in the radiant heat chamber Al2 and tubular heat absorbingjelements I3 and 'I4 ar' ranged, for example, inthe convectionor ycontact heating chamber 1 5. Combustion media, that is, iuel and air, are supplied yto the chamber 13 30 by any suitable mean-s,indicateddiagrammatically, at 16 and l1,respectively. l

,Water is suppliedV to' the tubular elements through a supply line it connected to anyvsuitable pressure supply means, for example, the

pumps 19 and 2i). v, Steam[delivered by the generator is ,suppliedpbyfa conduitor line-2| to a suitable consuming device', lfor example, a turbine 22 driving a generator 23.

As is well known with steam generators of this type, the supplies of fuel, air, and Water must be controlled to suit the demand. In the drawing, the apparatus, at I6, is shown, for example, as being of the pulverized-fuel feeding type, driven by a variable speed electric motor 24 whose supply circuit 25 contains a suitable speed controlling resistance or rheostat, at 26, having a movable Contact element 21. Air is supplied in a variable manner by the apparatus, at I1, consisting, for example, of a blo-Wer 28 driven by a variable speed motor 29 having a controlling resistance or rheostat, at 30, provided with a movable contact element 3|.

Any suitable means responsive to the load may be used for controlling the water supply. For

example, in Fig. 1, I show the generator 23 provided with a load-responsive device, at 33, which controls the speed of the pump 20 to secure Water pressure in the steam generator in accord ance with the'load. Y

Referring now to the now-responsive and theri5. mostatic means for controlling the supply of fuel and air, in Fig. 1, I showa body 35 vcontaining a movable dow-responsive abutment 36 connected to a rod 31. The rod 31 is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 38 andthe other end of the 1l)v latter is connected to a thermostat 39 responsive 'to the temperature oi steam delivered 'by the boiler. 'I'he lever 38 is connected, through ale'ver l40, to the servo-motor 4I, which actuates the speed control 'contacts 21 and 3l. The arrangel5 ment of the leverage, thelow responsive device, and the thermostat lare such that,` with increase in Yilow` or decrease in temperature, the fuel and air supply rates are increasedV and vice versa. Also, it 'will be apparentthat, if, for any reason, 20 the water supply should fail or have its flow reduced below a predetermined rate, the flow-responsive device will operate through the means referred to so as-to restrict the fuel and'air to such an .extent as 'to '.avoid injury .to fuel-heated 25 elements g f I In Fig. 2, Ishow a. modied form ofV flow-responsive device 413 ofthe Venturi flow meter type having an actuated element 44 arranged for `connection to the lever 38 in a manner similar .to 3Q that of the flow responsive device of Fig. 1.

y,In Fig. l3, I show .a further .embodiment of the flow-responsive .device consisting of a movable .flap element 45 arranged in the feed water stream and movable therebyto actuate the operated ele- 35 ment 46,.,the latter being connected ,totthe con? trolling operating mechanism in arnanner' sim'- ilar to the flow-responsive device of Fig. 1.

From the apparatus described, it will be apparent that I have provided a boiler of the 40 forced-now type wherein the pressure is caused to vary in accordance with the power demand.

If there is an increase in demand for power, the pressure increases, and vice versa. With change in the quantity of working fluid being circulated 45 incident to changes in power demand, the flow-responsive device operates to adjust the supplies of fuel and air to suit the power demand. Also, the thermostat associated with the boiler assures that steam may be supplied under variable pres- 50 sure and at substantially constant temperature to the turbine, an increase in temperature causing the fuel and air supply rates to be decreased and vice versa,

While I have shown my invention in three 55 forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a steam generator including heating surface and combustion apparatus for supplying heat thereto, the steam generator supplying steam to'a consuming device, of means for supplying feed Water to the heating surface, means for supplying combustion media to the combustion apparatus, means dependent on the demand of the consuming device for controlling the feed Water supply means to` vary the rate of supplying feed Water in accordance with the demand, means responsive to the temperature of generated steam so as to control the 'combustion media supply means in such manner as to maintain steam supplied from the generator to the consuming device ata substantially'constant temperature, and means responsive to reduction in flow of feed water to the generator to control the combustion media supply means so as to diminish the supply of combustion media to the combustion apparatus in order to prevent overheating of the heating surface.

2. The combination with a steam generator including tubular heating surface and combustion apparatus for supplying heat thereto, the steam generator supplying steam to a consuming device, of means including a feed pump for supplying feed Water to the heating surface, means for supplying combustion media to the combustion apparatus, means responsive to consuming device load for controlling the feed pump to increase the flow and pressure of feed Water supplied to Vthe heating surface with increase in load and vice versa, and means actuated by and in response to change in flow of feed water supplied to the heating surface to change the supply of combustion media to the combustion apparatus such that with an increase in now of feed water the supply of combustion media is increased and vice versa.

3. The combination with a steam generator including heating surface and combustion apparatus for supplying heat thereto, the steam generator supplying steam to a consuming device, of means for supplying feed water to the heating surface, means for supplying combustion media. to the combustion apparatus, means dependent on the demand of the consuming device for controlling the feed water supply means to vary the rate of supplying feed water in accordance with the demand, and a control system for the combustion media supply means, said system including means actuated by and in response to change in now of feed water to the heating surface for changing the rate of supplying combustion media. such that with an increase in feed water ow the rate of supplying combustion media is increased and vice versa and thermostatic means responsive to the temperature of steamleaving the generator for controlling the rate of supplying combustion media such that the temperature of steam supplied by the generator to the consuming device is maintained substan- V tially constant.

4. `The combination with a steam generator including heating surface and combustion apparatus, the steam generator supplying steam to a consuming device, of means includinga feed pump for supplying feed water to the heating surface, means for supplying combustion media to theY combustion apparatus, means responsive to the consuming device load for controlling the feed pump to` increase the flow and pressure of feed water supplied to the heating surface with increase in load and vice versa, and a'control system for the combustion media supply means, said system including means responsive to change of flow of feed water to change the rate of supplying combustionmedia to the combination apparatus such that, with increase in flow of feed water, the supply of combustion media is increased and vice versa, and thermostatic means for controlling the combustion media supply meansV so as to maintain the temperature of steam leaving the generator substantially constant.

5. The combination with a steam generator including heating surface supplying steam to a consuming device, an inlet conduit for supplying feed water to the heating surface, combustion apparatus for supplying heat to the heating surface, means for supplying 'combustion media to the combustion apparatus, a feed pump incorporated in the inlet conduit for supplying water under pressure to the heating surface, means responsive to the consuming device load demand to control the pump to vary the steam pressure in accordance with the load, and means responsive to the iiow of water in said inlet conduit to restrict the supply of combustion media to the combustion apparatus in order to avoid overheating of the heating surface due to insufficient flow of Water in said inlet conduit.V

FRANCIS HODGMNSON. 

